EP rapporteur on C02 emissions from passenger cars Chris Davies (UK, LibDem) comments ahead of the formal presentation of a draft regulation on reducing CO2 emissions from passenger cars today:

“By promoting the sale of gas guzzling large cars the industry chose to put profit before environmental responsibility.  The Commission has been warned for the past five years that car makers were going to miss the targets set by the voluntary agreement."  

“These proposals are an important step forward and will result in legally binding requirements being placed upon car makers. The technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions has been available for years, and now the manufacturers will be forced to use it."

“There will be a huge fight before these proposals become law but the battlelines will not be clear.  The car industry will be deeply divided between potential winners and losers."  

“Carbon emissions from motor vehicles continue to increase across Europe. We need to be environmentally ambitious in bringing about technological improvements, but we also need to be realistic about the time it will take for car makers to achieve these changes in the most economical manner.”

Please find attached a list of open questions prepared by the rapporteur that remain unanswered.

Link to the pre-legislative report of Chris Davies adopted in plenary on 24-10-2007